A ploy to purge PF councilors that did not support the candidature of Mayor Mulenga Sata as Lusaka district chairman has been bared.

PF sources said the Lusaka Mayor had embarked on a mission to sideline all PF councillors that were against his election as district chairman by supporting his opponent Goodson Banda.

The sources said the party members under the instruction of the district chairman have since dissolved the ward development committee in Chainda ward 29 which is under Councillor Given Lwenshi.

They said Mr Lwenshi who openly de-campaigned the mayor in preference for Mr Banda was stripped of his position as council chief whip and was also suspended indefinitely as vice chairperson for Munali constituency without any reason.

And some councilors said that the mayor had removed Mr Lwenshi from his position because he felt uncomfortable to work with a councilor who did not support him.

But efforts to get a committee from the mayor proved futile as his phone went unanswered.

“We can confirm that councilor Lwenshi has been suspended as vice chairperson for Munali constituency indefinitely and also his position as chief whip was also given to someone else who is close to the mayor. The 12-man committee that was dissolved in Chainda was meant to pave way for those who supported him.

“We were shocked that some of our party members decided to take the law in their own hands by disbanding the ward development committee contrary to what the law says. These committees are supposed to be dissolved by the council through the Town Clerk but we don’t know why Mr Sata has decided to allow this to happen,” one councillor said.

The Chainda ward 29 committee was dissolved last Sunday following misunderstanding between the cadres and the members of the committee.

The PF sources said that the party members felt it was unfair to them to allow people that did not support Mr Sata at the district to run the offices.

They complained that it was unfortunate that the current mayor was not promoting unity within the party and the council because he was not embracing all the councilors and committee members in the wards.

Councillor Lwenshi confirmed that he was suspended indefinitely four months ago but that he was not given any reasons.

Mr Lwenshi also confirmed that he did not support the Lusaka mayor to take over as Lusaka district chairman because he thought the right person for the job was Mr Banda.